The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-11-26
ESTABLISHED $50.
j. III. EsTiLL, Editor and Proprietor.
FLEECED ON OIL RATES.
MIR. RICE EVIDENTLY HAS THE
BEST OF THE FIGHT.

The Mobile and Ohio Company Changes
the Charges Com planned of-The Lou
isville and Nashville Company's De-
termination to Ignore the Long and
Short Haul Clause of the Law.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 25.--B. F. Mitchell
General Freight Agent of the Western
Division of the Newport News and Missis-
sippi Valley Railroad Company, was the
first witness examined to-day before the
Interstate Commerce Commission in connec-
tion with the Standard Oil cases. In respect
70 the fact of difference in rate as between
oil Transported in tanks and that
carried in barrels and to the
reasons justifying such differences
his testimony was substantially like that of
the other freight men who had preceded
him. Among other things the witness said
his company had invariably based their
charges for hauling oil in tanks upon the
car, irrespective of its capacity or contents
Thereupon the counsel produced a copy of a
letter. the signature of which the witness
acknowledged written to the complainant
giving him rate on a tank car of the Ca
pacity of 10000 pounds, and rate on the
excess. The witness thought this clerical
error. The counsel asked the meaning of
the words in the upper corner of the letter,
Dictated by me.n The witness acknowl-
edged having dictated the letter, but did
not know what the expression in question
meant, as it was contrary to all the facts in
the case.
LOUISVILLE AND NASHVILLE DEFIANT.
John c. Gault, General Manager of the
Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pacific
railroad, was sworn and examined, but his
evidence in all material points was similar
to that already given by Mr.. Colbran, Gen
eral Freight Agent Of the same company
Some questions were asked with respect to
the relations between the witness road
and the Louisville and Nashville. The
witness replied in general way that they
were friendly, but it was developed, rather
under protest, that there had been dis
agreement in policy scme time back owing
to the determination of the witness COM
pany to give a strict Interpretation to the
Interstate commerce law, while he was
cognizant of a determination on the part of
the management of the other road practic-
ally to ignore the long and short haul feature
of the law on the theory that "circum-
stances and conditions were always such as
TO justify the rates.
several other witnesses We're examined,
among them General Freight Agent Z. w
Howe, of the Louisville New Orleans and
Texas railroad: ID. b. Morr, of New Or
leans General Freight Agent of the South
ern division of the Illinois Central railroad: !:
n. G. Pierce, of the Waters-Pierce Oil Com
Tany, Of St Louis and w j. Blundred of
Oil City, General Agent of the Green line,
the oil transportation line of the Pennsyl-
vania railroad.
THE MOBILE AND OHIO GIVES IN.
Z. L. Russell, general counsel of the Mo
bile and Ohio Railroad CompanV who has
been in attendance to answer the complaints
Of Mr.. Rice, has put in plea that the COM
pany has changed the rates of which com
plant was made. The counsel for Mr.. Rice
have agreed that there Is no complaint
against the companys new rates, and that
the only remaining ground of complaint is
that less is charged from st. Louis and
Cairo to Mobile than to intermediate
points. Upon this point the road claims
under the ruling of the commission that
water competition justifies lesser long haul
rates. The case in so far as this road is
concerned, being thus made up, Mr.. Rus
sell has left Washington.